Are you looking for a resource to use when your students are voting for their very own class president? Today I am sharing a resource for you to use in your primary classroom, as your little kiddos vote for their very own class president!
First, begin by reading aloud a picture book about the election process. Molly, from Lucky to be in First, compiled a great list of books that you can read aloud to your students.
Explain to your students that the class will participate in a mock election every student will have the opportunity to run for class president. Part of their responsibility in doing so is to create a campaign poster and develop a plan that will outline what they will do to help students and staff members.
Once your students understand the the process, they will begin to identify POSITIVE character traits that will define themselves. As students read and identify the meaning of each of the character traits, it would be a great opportunity for you to teach about synonyms and antonyms of each character trait.
For example, joyful and cheerful are two character traits on this list. Students can identify these adjectives as synonyms.
After your students have identify their positive character traits that would make them a great class president, they will then begin to think about what changes they would like to see in their classroom and school. Ask your students about the impact that they would like to make on the students in their classroom and the staff members in the school.
Students fill out a reflection about changes they would make if they were elected as class president.
In this resource I created, there is one reflection geared towards primary students and other reflection geared toward intermediate students.
The first question asks: If you were class president, what would you do to create better conditions for the students in your classroom?
The second question asks: If you were the class president, would would you do to create better working conditions for staff members?
One student promises to help teachers by providing breakfast and coffee for them every morning because “they work hard and deserve it!”
Students then identify four character traits from the list, that they feel best describes them. The students then reflect on a recent experience in their life, which they had to demonstrate one of the character traits.
This student wrote “Last month, my mom and I volunteered at the animal shelter. I was helpful and hard-working because we took several dogs on a walk.”
This resource is available for free on my blog.
You can download the resource shown above by clicking on the button below:
Once this part of the lesson is complete, you can do a couple of things. You can simply start a class election by lining up all of the campaign posters and giving students the opportunity to vote.
OR…
You can go all out by using the ideas Molly writes about on her blog. Check out how she creates a private voting booth for her first graders!
Molly even has her students fill out a voter registration card! Ahh! Too cute!
Her little lucky first graders then get an “I voted” badge to wear proudly!
All of these ideas (and more!) can be found on Molly’s blog.
Click on the image below to visit Molly’s blog.
Have you every held a mock election in your classroom? How do your students vote for their own class president? I would love to hear YOUR ideas!
